Metallic cartridge belt or strip



m T R 0 G w METALLIC CARTRIDGE BELT OR STRIP Filed May 6, 193a Inventur Walter T. Gar-tun g mW-A Attorne Patented Sept. 26, E939 UNETEE STAT ZERSB? PATENT or ies Walter E. Gorton, United States Army, Springfield, Mass.

Application May 6, 1933, Serial No. 206,369

3 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30,

The inventlon'described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon. The subject of this invention is a metallic cartridge belt or strip adapted for feeding cartridges into a position to be loaded into the chamber of a gun barrel.

In automatic guns of the type in which a cartridge is pushed directly forward from the belt by the breech bolt it is necessary to pass the belt through the gun in a plane other than the plane of the barrel chamber and breech bolt in order to permit the breech bolt to move into battery. As a result of such arrangement a ramp is usually provided for inclining the cartridge as it is moved forwardly of the breech bolt.

With a view towards permitting a compact construction of the gun with a short stroke for the breech bolt it is proposed in the present invention to provide a belt link or strip which takes advantage of the tapered shoulder of a.

cartridge to produce an inclination of the cartridge during its initial loading movement.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and comblnation of elements described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a link constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the feed mechanism of a machine gun showing the breech bolt about to push a cartridge out of the belt;

Fig. 3 is a view in rear elevation of the link;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 3t of Fig.

Fig, 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the normal relation of cartridge and barrel;

Fig. 6 is a similarview showing the position of the cartridge after its initial movement.

The link is formed from a metal blank and comprises a web 5, a pair of longitudinally spaced coamal open rings t-t on one side of the web, and a single open ring l on the other side of the web and located opposite to the space between the rings t-t. This arrangement of the open rings is conventional and is made for the purpose of enabling the single ring 7 of one link to fit between the spaced rings 5-3 of an adjoining link so that a cartridge 8 loosely inserted in the aligned links provides a removable plntle connecting the links.

"Ihe rearmost ring 8 is provided with a pair of fingers as each having a detent be for engaging the cannelure it of the cartridge slightly m above its center line.

A plurality of resilient and forwardly extending fingers are provided on the front ring 5. Two ,of the fingers H H are disposed on opposite sides of the ring 5 and are adapted to engage and grip the front part of the cartridge slightly above 5 its center line. A third finger i2 is disposed between the fingers HH and on the lower side of the ring opposite to its open side. The fingers H and H are formed with offsets respectively Ila and Ma which conform to and engage the tapered shoulder l3 of the cartridge.

Referring to Fig. 6, when a cartridge is fed from the belt into the chamber M of a gun barrel by means of a bolt 15, the initial forward displacement of the cartridge results in a vertical movement of the front of the cartridge as the shoulder l3 rides up the offset in of the finger l2. This elevation of the cartridge causes it to be released from the grasp. of the pair of fingers ll-ll which form a support and guide for the cartridge as it continues its movement into the chamber.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with a disintegrating link it may also be employed with the strip or clip type of cartridge holder.

I claim:

1. A cartridge holder comprising open front and rear rings for holding a cannelured cartridge, a pair of fingers extending forwardly from the front ring for engaging the front end of the cartridge slightly above its center line, and a pair of fingers extending rearwardly from the rear ring for engaging the cannelure of the cartridge slightly above its center line.

2. A cartridge holder comprising open rings for holding a cartridge having a tapered shoulder, a pair of resilient fingers extending forwardly from the front ring for engaging the front end of the cartridge slightly above its center line, said fingers each having an offset for normally engaging the shoulder of the cartridge, and a finger extending forwardly from the front ring between the resilient fingers and on the side of the ring opposite to its opening, said finger having an offset for normally engaging the shoulder of the cartridge.

3. A cartridge holder comprising open rings for holding a cartridge having a tapered shoulder, a pair of resilient fingers extending forwardly from the front ring for engaging the front end of the cartridge slightly above its center line, and a finger extending forwardly from the front ring between the resilient fingers and on the side of the ring opposite to its opening, said finger having an ofiset for normally engaging the shoulder of the cartridge.

WALTm T. GORTON. w 

